i only know about gsd, and they give need-based financial aid for international students. I've seen people who get up to 15k a year + on campus job opportunities to partially cover remaining expenses. I don't think I've ever seen people who got more than that directly from the school. Need-based aids are pretty easy to receive--you just fill out required forms and you'll get some amount of money most of the time (in my case it was 5k a year). Not sure about merit-based scholarships since I wasn't really eligible or in the first priority pool for the scholarships listed on the official website.  

Thank you very much thompson's gazelle! Really good to know the information that you gave us!

Any other info from other current students or recent alumnis?

I would recommend to get a scholarship via educational foundation - Educate the Planet. These scholarships cover education in renowned universities, colleges and schools in the UK, USA and Russia. You can choose appropriate programmes and courses from those institutes. For more information visit website.

@BenTomas thank you for your anwser. It is the first time I come across such a foundation? Is it the first year it is being launched?

Yes, it is the first year but foundation's advisors have extensive experience in education sphere and provision of finance aid and support for students. Educate the Planet has already launched a broad campaign to provide scholarships for international students.

Do you work for them? What is the catch? They cover huge amount of money. There has to be a catch

GSD and Yale do not offer merit-based aid, only need-based.

From what I’ve heard, it’s pretty hard to get a scholarship at these schools. You can check out this website for more details on requirements: https://scholarships.harvard.edu/international-students . Personally, I study at Les Roches Chicago, lucky for me, they have affordable fees!

archhopeful:  I can't say what GSD does or deosn't offer, but Yale does in fact offer merit scholarships in addition to their regular need-based financial aid package, to a small percentage of M.Arch applicants every year, to sweeten their admission offers to these most-sought students.  There's no way to specifically apply for them - they're awarded at the discretion of the admissions committee, and it's not made public how many are awarded per year, or if it's always the same number, and what the $ cap is.  Merit based awards can go to international students - but I don't know what percentage do.  The merit awards aren't huge - a few thousand dollars usually.  I don't know of any amounting to more than 10% to 15% of tuition.  Merit scholarships are not renewable after first year - the only way to get merit-based money from the university in later years is to win one of the very few competitive awards that are not purely need-based.

Aluminate is correct for YSoA. If you are accepted, you will be told any and all "need-based" assistance that the school will offer. However... a few will get random merit based scholarships during the program. 

I had a random $1000 scholarship midway through the first semester that I didn't apply for and was at the discretion of the dean's office. It was nice, but I wouldn't count on it. I knew a few others getting similar random things throughout the year, but never more than a few grand. 

For YSoA Post-Pros.... some get aid (25% tuition, 50% tuition, or even full ride) and some get nothing. You'll know in your acceptance package. 

You got to have a REALLY STRONG portfolio, some VERY GOOD references (think starchitects that teach/taught in these schools), and a very good SOP. I cant emphasize enough that one should do their research, and ACTIVELY PLAN to get the scholarships by getting in touch with these profs and talking with them.